Two developers vying to build slots parlors in Central Massachusetts were given the thumbs up by the state gambling commission at a meeting Thursday which ruled that they passed initial background checks.

The meeting, which stretched into the afternoon, was held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

The board unanimously qualified Mass Gaming Entertainment, a subsidiary of Rush Street Gaming, and PPE Casino Resorts MA LLC, a subsidiary of the Cordish Co. Both entities passed background checks and can continue to the next phase of the application process.

Rush Street Gaming wants to build a slots parlor in Millbury after abandoning a project in Worcester. Cordish Co. is seeking approval in Leominster for a slots parlor.

Both companies are competing with two other entities for the state's sole slots license, according to the Gaming Commission. Plainridge Racecourse and Raynham Park are being reviewed by gambling officials this month.

However, Penn National Gaming, which recently lost out to MGM for a resort-style casino in Springfield, is talking to Tewksbury officials about developing a slots parlor at Interstate 495 and Route 133, the Boston Globe reporter Thursday.

"It's an arduous, lengthy, and time-consuming process," said the lawyer representing Mass Gaming during the meeting.

The full report was 211 pages, although a compressed version was submitted to the board to protect private information of those who were investigated.

The commission investigated eleven people and nine entities, the majority of which were trust funds.

Background checks for the individuals involved recorded interviews, five years of tax returns, even traffic violations for each person to assure the board that those involved in oversight of the companies demonstrate good character and integrity.

"There is no record of any prohibited political contributions or civil litigation history that would be adverse to these qualifiers being found suitable," the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau of the Gaming Commission said in its supporting documentation.

The lawyer representing Mass. Gaming said the company has "found Millbury very receptive" and is hopeful for discussions going forward.

Before approval, board commissioner Enrique Zuniga said he was pleased to see the company's "significant involvement in charity work."

While board members gave the go-ahead, there were some reservations during the two-hour discussion on the topic.

Several board members expressed concern with the number of violations at the other Rush-owned casinos dealing with admitting underaged guests.

The company argued that the numbers were in the single digits and said it works hard to keep the number as low as possible, adding that "we don't want kids in the casino. They're of no use."

A consultant hired to help with investigating the developers promised to show the board national statistics regarding casinos admitting people under 21 years old to help put the number of violations into perspective.

Commissioner Bruce Stebbins noted at the end of the meeting that he would like to have further discussion on ways the state could deter people who are underaged from attempting to get through security.

The board was also uneasy about the discrepancy of salaries in the hierarchy of Rush Gaming. Stephen P. Crosby, chairman of the board, said he was puzzled that while about a dozen people at the top were receiving large salaries, there were many "serious players" who were being paid much more modest compensations.

The fear, he explained, is that those people may be "vulnerable to financial trouble."

The company assured the board it was not a "mom and pop shop" in Chicago, and said that the difference is between owners and employees. Its lawyer noted that those employees who are being compensated less would not have the power to give out favors that might land the company in an unethical situation.

A consultant also explained that the issue has been investigated and will continue to be reviewed.

The board will hold another public hearing to determine the suitability for Plainridge Racetrack and Raynham Park.

The next step for the developers will be Phase II of the investigation, where the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau will look deeper into the companies' finances.